Tested: 2008 Marin Wolf Ridge

MARIN WOLF RIDGE $3,100

The Marin Wolf Ridge has a lot in common with one of those backcountry 4x4s you might see scampering around any mountain town—it’s not the fastest or most elegant machine, but it has a rugged, go-anywhere quality about it. Marin labels the Wolf Ridge a trail or all-mountain bike, which is pretty close to accurate, but it seems like a little more bike than that. It’s closer to a short-travel freeride bike, if you can call 5.5 inches short.

Based on the Mount Vision frame from last year, the Wolf Ridge has additional gussets and a slacker disposition for more aggressive riding. Using another iteration of Marin’s Quad-Link suspension system, the Wolf Ridge’s four-bar linkage reduces pedal bob, increases rear-wheel traction and cuts down on pedal feedback.

The Wolf Ridge is heavier than other so-called trail bikes, coming in at 34 pounds, but with weight comes strength, and this bike also surpasses many of its peers in stiffness. A combination of FSA Gap MegaEXO cranks, hydroformed frame tubes, Syncros rims (laced to Hope Pro II hubs) and front and rear Maxle axles make for one sturdy ride that’s built for plowing through, and over, obstacles.

On rocky, technical trails, both climbing and descending, I learned to simply straightline everything. The Wolf Ridge is so stiff and the suspension so active that it found its way over most anything I pointed it at, even cleaning some lines that had previously eluded me. An extra-low 22x34 gear combo and big-footprint 2.35 Nevegal tires guaranteed slow going on climbs, but just like that trusty 4x4, this bike can rock-crawl in low gear like the best of them.

Geometry is best described as low and slow, with 67-degree head and 71.5-degree seat tubes. The ride is stable at speed or in the rough, and while I usually prefer slower handling, I kept the RockShox Pike U-Turn fork in its minimum 95-millimeter setting most of the time to tighten up the steering. I only reached for the full-travel setting on extended or super-steep downhills, so I was not always making the most of the fork.

All in all, the Wolf Ridge is a unique beast—it’s not fast uphill, but makes up for the lack of speed with stability. And although 5.5 inches of travel may not be the most in town, the stiff construction, smart component selection and well-designed suspension helps it descend as though it has more. —ALAN DAVIS

HIGHS: Super-stiff frame; good suspension and smart selection of solid parts

LOWS: Angles too slack for some (and going to a bigger fork makes angles even slacker); heavy; smooth XC trails need not apply

MORE INFO: 415-382-6000; MARINBIKES.COM